Scraping device for footwear



June 245, 1929. F, P, MCNULTY 1.718.428

I SCRAPNG DEVICE FOR FO-OTWEAR Fileauune 6,'1928 INVENTOR 311772010? M95/ ATTORNEY lll on u

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES FRANK P. MCNULTY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SCRAPING DEVICE FOR FOOTWEAR.

Application filed J'une 6, 1928.

My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a simple, substantial and inexpensive device particularly adapted, although not necessarily, for use on ruiming b ards of automobiles, and by which foreign. matter such as mud and other road dirt adhering to footwear can be removed therefrom with the utmost ease and dispatch, to the end that the footwear of a person about to enter the automobile can be thoroughly cleaned of such foreign matter and thus prevent soiling of the floor coverings of the automobile as well as eliminating'unsanitary conditions in the automobile resulting from carrying the foreign matter thereinto.

It i.. a further purpose of my invention to provide a device of the above described character, which is in the nature of an attachment capable of being readily applied to a running' board of an automobile without modifying the structure of the latter, and embodying a scraping element mounted for movement to occupy an inconspicuous and unobstructing position with respect to persons entering and leaving the automovbile, and another position wherein the element is conveniently accessible for the scraping of foreign matter from footwear.

I will describe only one form of scraping device for footwear embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

liig, 1 is a view showing in side elevation, an automobile with one form of scraping dexl embodying my invention, applied to a reni ing board thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2%2 of Fig. 1, and illustrating the position on the running board occupied by the device when not in use;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, and illusii ng the position occupied by the device when in use; and

Figs. Lil and 5 are plan views, partly broken away, of the device and illustrating, respectively, the corresponding positions of the device as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring specifically to the drawing in which similar reference characters designate similar parts in each of the several views, my invention in its present embodiment comprises a support or frame designated generally F and in the present instance constructed of sheet metal to provide a rec- Serial No. 283,288.

tangular shaped flat base having its side edges angular-ly bent to form upstanding flanges 11 and 12, the frame being rigidly secured to the underside of a running board R of the automobile, preferably directly in front of a door of the latter, by means of bolts 13 passing through the tread 14 of the running board and through the base 1() of the frame adjacent the four corners of the latter as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The bolts 13 are provided with spacing sleeves 15 and nuts 16 by means of which latter the frame can be drawn upwardly to tightly engage the upper edges of its fiangcs 11 and 12 with the underside of the running board.

A scraping element designated generally at S and in the present instance constructed of a strip of spring metal to provide a scraping blade 17, is mounted for movement in the frame F to occupy a retracted position wherein it is contiguous to the outer edge of the running board R and abuts the downturned flange 18 of the running board as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and a projected position wherein it is spaced from the outer edge of the running board as is shown in Figs. 3 and 5. In the retracted position of the blade its upper or scraping edge 19 is substantially Hush with the tread 14 of the running board so as to eliminate the possibility of a person tripping over the blade when entering or leaving the automobile.

.To provide means for mounting the blade 17 for movement in the frame to occupy the above mentioned positions, in the present instance a pairof bars 2() and 21 constructed of flat strip metal are freely received in registering openings formed in the flanges 11 and 12 so as to be disposed in side by side spaced relation, one end of the bars being upturned to provide extensions 22 which are spanned by a transverse bar 23, the scraper blade 17 and the bar 23 bcing secured in upright positions to the eX- tensions 22 by rivets 24, to the end that the blade will be slidably mounted in the frame F.

The blade is normally urged towards its projected position by means of a spring 25, which in the present instance is formed from a length of spring wire coiled about a projection or stud 26 secured to the base 10 of the frame, and having its ends engageable with pins 27 fixed to the bars 20 and 21 so as to urge the latter and hence the blade 17 towards its projected position when occupyits retracted position. The projected position of the blade is definitely limited by means of other pins 28 secured to the bars 2() and 2l and engageable with the frame F.

The blade is capable of being releasably retained in its retracted position against the action of the spring 25 by means of a spring latch de 'enated generally at L, and in the present nv tance comprising a ila-t spring V29 secured at one end to the base l0 by means of' the .stud 2G and projecting through a slot 3() in the frame, the spring being provided at its free end with a latching lug 3l normall y urged by the spring into engagement with `the trai'isverse bar 23 when the blade occupies its retracted position so as tolatch the blade against movement towards projected position.

To aid in initiating movement of the blade towards projected position when the latein ing lug 3l disengaged from the transverse bir the ends of the blade which project beyond the ends of the bar Qlare normally curved laterally as indicated at 32 so that when the blade is moved to and latched in its retracted position the ends of the blade will be engaged with and flexed by the downturned flange 'i8 of the running board so as to be placed under tension and thus tend to urge the blade towards its projected position.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming that the scraper blade i7 is latched in its retracted position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and that a person ldesires to use the blade to scrape foreign matter from his or her footwear, the foot can be enqz-tged with the latching lug 3lto depress the latter sufficiently to clear the transverse bar 23 and thus release the blade so that the latter will be moved to its projected poion under the action of the spring 25 and aided by the flexed ends 3 of the blade. By successively Vdrawing the foot across the blatle in a direction away from the running lmard, any foreign matter adhering to the shoe wi l be scraped therefrom by the blade l craifitate from the blade to the l and wil g ground.

When the scraping operation is completed, and it is d f"red to restore the blade to retracted po... tion, the shoe is engaged with the transverse bar 23 and the latter pushed in fardly towards the running board, the

latc1 lug 3l having an inclined face 33 which is engaged by the lower edge of the blade.` to cam the llug downwardly and permit the blade and bar 23 to pass the lu, after whichthe lug automatically engages thebar 23 under the action of the spring Q9 to latch the blade in its retracted position.

Although l have herein shown anc described only one form of scraping device for footwear embodying lmy invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modiiications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended' claims.

l claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a scraper element, and means by which the element is capable of being mounted for movement on a vehicle running board to occupy an unobstructing position with respect to a person mounting the running board and another position wherein the element is accessible for the scraping from footwear, of foreign matter adhering thereto, ,said scraper element comprising a flexible de adapted to engage and be flexed by the ruining board when the blade occupies its mentioned position so as to tend to urge .last mentioned posiand means for releasably retaining blade in the first mentioned position.

i. A scraping device comprising a frame adapted to be secured to the underside of a .fehicles running board and having a base gort-ion and spaced apart angularly disposed .flanges provided with registering' openings, bars rrcely received in the openings for slidmovement on the frame, and l rly disposed extensions, a cross bar spanig the bars and secured to the extensions of the latter to rigidly connect the bars, a scraper blade spanning the bars and secured tothe extensions of the latter, means for urging the bars towards one extreme position, means tor releasably retaining the bars in ano dier extreme position, and means for limiting the movement of the bars to the first icntioned position. Y

3. A scraping device comprising a frame adapted to be secured to the underside of a vehiclesI running board and having' a base portion and spaced apart ai'igularly disposed flanges provided with registering openings. liarsl Li'rcely received Vin the openings for on ing movement on the frame, and having angnlarly disposed extensions, a crossl bar spanning the bars and secured to the extensions of the latter to rigidlyT connect the bars, a scraper blade spanning the bars l secured to the extensions of the latter, pins on bars, a stud secured to the frame, a wound upon the stud and having' arms engageable with said pins to normally urge the bars towards one extreme position a spring' secured to the frane and lm a 111e latching lug engageable with said cross barV and normally urged by the spring to latch the bars in another ertreme posi i, and other pins on the bars engageable with the frame to limit movement of the bars to the first mentioned extreme position.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, this Q-lth day of' May, A. D. 1928.

FRANK l). McllULTl/T. 

